Teeeitoet



(No Model.) I I J. EJWARD 8'6 J. A. PALLGATTER.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 385,021 Patented June 26, 1888.

N. PETERS, vnmuum n m. Wahinglnn. o. c.

NrrnD ATENT anion.

JOHN E. WARD AND JOHN A. FALLGATTER, or HURON, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

CAR-COUPLING.

$PECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,027, dated June 26,18 88.

Serial No. 268,745. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN E. WARD and JOHN A. FALLGATTER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Huron, in the county of Beadle, DakotaTerritory, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic OanOouplings; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to automatic car-couplings; and it has for itsobject, first, to provide double means to insure the cars connectingautomatically when they come together, and double means to guard againstaccidents from uncoupling or breaking; second,to provide means wherebythe couplings may be disconnected by, a person at either side of the caroron top of it; third, to provide means whereby the automatic couplingmay be set not to connect with each other when the cars come togetherand it is again desired to separate them, and, fourth, to provide meanswhereby this automatic coupling may be coupled with the usual draw-headlink and pin.

To this end our invention consistsin the construction and combination ofparts forming an automatic car-coupling, hereinafter described andclaimed,rei'erence being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure I is a side elevation of a portion of two cars, showing one ofour couplings with the link at rest in position, to couple with anapproaching drawhead, and showing another of our couplings with the linkraised, so that it would not couple if brought to another drawhead. Fig.II is a plan view of a portion of the same on a larger scale. Fig. IIIis an end view of a portion of a box-car. Fig. 1V is an end View of aportion of a platform-car, and Fig. Visa longitudinal vertical sectionof two couplings connected.

6 represents a box car, 7 a platform-car, and 8 the common draw-heads,adapted to be connected by a loop-shaped link and pins. On the top ofthe common draw-head we construct our automatic drawheads in the form oftwo boxes, 9 and 10, all as one piece therewith.

11 is a link journaled at its rear end in the box 9, to swing verticallyand to rest in the bottom of the box.

The head of our link is arrow-shaped,being slanted forward at its edgesand under side,so

that it will be readily guided between and over 5 5 the slanting cheeks12 of an approaching draw head, and the shoulders 13 behind the linkheadengage the shoulders 14 behind the cheeks 12 to draw the car.

15 is a guard-lever journaled at its rear end 6 in the boxlO and restingits forward end normally in the bottom of the box.

16 is a lifting-bar journaled across the end of the car and providedwith levers or handles 17 at each side of the car-,and with an arm, 6

18, connected by a chain with the link 11, whereby a person at the sideof the car may raise thelink to uncouple the cars, or he may raise thehead of the link to aid it to connect with an unusually-high drawhead.

19 is a spring provided with a nib, 20, located a little above the usualpath of the arm 18, whereby the said arm and the link may be held raisedabove their working position when it is not desired to couple this carwith another.

' 21 is a lifter passing up through the bottom of box 10 beneath theguard ]5,and connected with an arm, 22, of the lifting-bar 16. The guard15 is located normally below the incoming linlchead, and the act ofraising the link s 19,whereby the link and the guard will both be heldraised, so that this link cannot fall into another draw-head and anotherlink cannot 0 fall into this draw-head.

23 is a rod connected with one arm of the bar 16 and extending to thetop of the car, Where it is provided with a handle,wherebya person onthe car may operate the coupler. Platform-cars 7 do not need the rod 23,and a little modification'only is required to adapt the device to suchcars. The lifting-bar 16 may be journaled beneath the draw-head and bothits arms 18 and 22 be provided with lifti Now, 8

ers 21,0ne to engage the link 11 and the other to engage the guard 15.Either of the links 11 will couple and draw the carsif the other shouldbecome disabled, and the common drawhead 8 will serve to couple with acar not pro vided with our automatic coupler.

When the cars are pushed together,the linkheads ride rearward on theguards free from the cheeks 12 and the lifting-bar 16 may be easilyworked.

Our two-linked couplings, forming a double guard against breakage andaccidental uncou pling, and being simple, easy-0f operation,inexpensive, and durable, recommend themselves.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we desire to secure byLetters Patent is the following:

The combination, in a car-coupling, of a draw-head provided with the box10, having the slanting cheeks 12 and the shoulders 14 behind thecheeks, and the box 9 beside the box 10, the link 11, hung in the box 9and havingan arrow-shaped head with shoulders 13, adapted to engage thesaid shoulders 14 of the box 10, the lifting-bar 16,journaled across 25the end of the car and provided with levers or handles 17 at the sidesof the car, and further provided with two arms, 18 and 22, the guard 15,journaled in the box 10, the lifter consisting of the rod 21, passing upthrough the bot- 30 tom of the box 10 beneath the guard, and connectionsbetween the said rod and the arm 22 and between the said arm 18 and thelink 11, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures 55 in presence ofwitnesses.

JOHN E. \VARD. JOHN A. FALLGATTER. Witnesses as to signature of J. E.WVard:

S. T. WRIGHT, J. H. HAUSER. Witnesses to signature of J. A. Fallgatter:

FREEMAN RoBIsoN, F. H. SHERIDAN.

